The Death Note and How To Stop It

[Badger]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Course, the one thing since the anime started I have been wondering. Does it have any affect on immortals.

 

Note: I suppose it could to certain types. Like Highlanders if you specifically write for a beheading. But, wouldnt say Vandal Savage or a Mumm-Ra the Everliving be kind of immune.

[nexus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

There's a good guy in Death Note? News to me. I've been longing for Light to get a truly severe comeuppance since the beginning.

 

I tend to agree. The show seems like the "The Bad guys, the amoral guys and the psychotic guys" and its hard to tell the difference without a program.

 

One thing I'm wondering about is how would something like the Deathnote be dealt with legally. The "good guys" seem like they just intend to either trump up some "real" charges when they catch "Kira" or just disappear him. But in a more legal process what could you charge "Kira" with in the US legal system? Malicious name writing? He wasn't physically able to kill any of these people, there is no evidence other than he wrote down their names and causes of death in a notebook. He could just be a morbid person or interested in the Kira case. If he was charge with "magically" killing people that would open a floodgate for other bizarre cases of "witchcraft" and "voodoo" murders.

[nexus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

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Which brings me to the RPG point. The Death Note, or something like it, would be the ultimate weapon in an RPG. It is so very powerful that writing it up in statistical terms would be pointless. And the question becomes obvious -- if an adversary of the PCs has a power of this variety, how can he even be contained, let alone stopped?

 

Sure he could. Light without his artifact and time to use it is a kid. If he doesn’t know the name and face of his enemy, he can’t kill them. If he is separated from the Death Note he can’t kill them. As far as I’ve seen so far there isn’t a mystic connection between him and the note. Lock him up away from it and he’s contained; kill him and it’s the same difference. Of course anyone that touches it will see the Shinigami as well and gain access to it. It’s not Light that has to be contained, it’s the Deathnote itself. Would the PCs be just as tempted if they got their hands on it?

 

Ive always felt that' date=' to a large degree, anime and superheroes DONT mix well.[/quote']

 

Anime is a medium, not a genre. Deathnote is somewhat psychological horror and mystery so superheroes wouldn't work in it but they wouldn't work well in Psycho or No Country for Old Men. There are “superheroes” in anime, the Sailor senshi in Sailor Moon (and its imitators) are superheroes, the Knight Sabers are essentially power suited superheroines, etc

 

Though I guess it depends on how you define “superhero”. You don’t seen many of the classic four color Western/US type superheroes in anime due to different origins and cultural assumptions, that’s true. But Son Goku. For example, in Dragonball and Dragonball Z is pretty darn close in many ways even up to the being reluctant to kill unless there is no other way.

 

The "Death Note" can only exist in a campaign by GM fiat' date=' [b']and[/b] can only be dealt with by GM fiat. Therefore, the PCs would be no more than objects to be moved around by the GM.

 

In a "Death Note" campaign there would be nothing for the players to do, and the GM would merely be playing with himself.

 

Yes, I meant that as contemptuously as it sounded.

 

Hm, I don’t see why a scenario involving something like the Deathnote would have to be a “railroad”. Its mystery like any other just one with –very- high stakes with a powerful Macguffin. The Deathnote can be dealt with pretty easily; finding it and its user is the tough part.

 

And in the end, everything is GM’s fiat some is just hidden better than others. If the GM wants to screw his players over, he can do so without anything like the Deathnote. A sniper on a rooftop a mile away is good enough. A Deathnote style campaign would be difficult because it would be very low “action’ and high wits. And as was mentioned informing the PC fairly of the danger they were in might be difficult unless they were specifically created for this or members of an elite (and hopefully very secret) law enforcement task force.

[nexus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Course, the one thing since the anime started I have been wondering. Does it have any affect on immortals.

 

Note: I suppose it could to certain types. Like Highlanders if you specifically write for a beheading. But, wouldnt say Vandal Savage or a Mumm-Ra the Everliving be kind of immune.

 

IIRC, the note can't affect the Death Gods but I don't know if it can effect other supernaturals (which presumably exist in the setting, at least other creatures from Japanese mythology).

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Ah- so now we know the SFX may be Variable, but the Advantages aren't AS Variable... no megascale blast radius, etc.

Unless he has speed writing, you would have to learn the term Collateral Damage and Acceptable Losses. Send a team of enough grunts, one of them will pop him before he can write ALL those names down...

 

"He killed Fritz! Dammit, Fritz, I told ya not to wear your nametag!"

[Badger]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Another thing I just thought of. What if Light was a really crappy speller?

[Badger]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

One thing I was thinking while watching the episode tonight.

 

If Rem to save Misa had to write L's name and sacrifice herself (?) in the process. Apparently she had the time to write down Watari and L. Wouldnt she have had time to write Light's name before she died?

 

Yeah, I know plot hook and all that. But, if she could have it would have been great to take him out for spite.

 

 

Anyhow, I have been thinking in my anime watching I gotta say Light Yagami I would have to rate #2 most evil. Behind only Naraku from Inuyasha. And the more I watch Death Note. The closer that gap closes.

 

Note: Then, again you gotta love watching a high-caliber villain at work.

[nexus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

One thing I was thinking while watching the episode tonight.

 

If Rem to save Misa had to write L's name and sacrifice herself (?) in the process. Apparently she had the time to write down Watari and L. Wouldnt she have had time to write Light's name before she died?

 

Yeah, I know plot hook and all that. But, if she could have it would have been great to take him out for spite.

 

Yeah that's a good point. I've missed several episodes so maybe there is some reason for it but if not...

 

Sometimes intelligent and "devilishly clever" villains end up being so because everyone is written as kind of stupid or at least slow witted. Hannibal Lector and Jigsaw fall into this class much more so with Jigsaw, IMO.

[Clonus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

THREAD NECROMANCY!!

 

That said, Alexraccoon has an excellent suggestion. If the Death Power isnt absolutely unavoidable, but rather places the target in mortal jeopardy, then youve got a workable scenario for gaming

 

I have a villain, Art Attacks, who can paint pictures depicting people in peril and that peril always happens to them. Of course he's in GURPS where there's actually an easy way to make that happen. In Hero I'd just make it a plot device.

[nexus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

I have a villain' date=' Art Attacks, who can paint pictures depicting people in peril and that peril always happens to them. Of course he's in GURPS where there's actually an easy way to make that happen.[/quote']

 

If you don't mind my asking, what's the mechanic? I'm not familiar with it.

 

The Deathnote isn't hard to write up in Hero System just...fairly expensive.

[Badger]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Yeah that's a good point. I've missed several episodes so maybe there is some reason for it but if not...

 

Sometimes intelligent and "devilishly clever" villains end up being so because everyone is written as kind of stupid or at least slow witted. Hannibal Lector and Jigsaw fall into this class much more so with Jigsaw, IMO.

 

Dont get me started on Saw.

 

Anyhow, then again Rem could have just written Light's name first, I guess. I guess the plot called for L being the threat to Misa. But, technically with Watari when dying deleting the files that would have saved her life (or at least delayed her dying) so if a shinigami's death was immediate in such a case, then Rem would die then. With L still alive. Though L would have likely worked around it, but it would probably still have caused a delay, and ANY lengthening of Misa's life would kill Rem.

 

Ah well, what is plot without being able to pick at the holes in it.

[Clonus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

If you don't mind my asking, what's the mechanic? I'm not familiar with it.

 

 

Stuff like that is what (Gurps) Serendipity is for. I think I cosmiced it for some reason but I don't have the rulebooks handy.

[nexus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Maybe Rem spared Light because killing him would have hurt Misa terribly and wasn't she supposed to care for Misa?

[Markdoc]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Maybe Rem spared Light because killing him would have hurt Misa terribly and wasn't she supposed to care for Misa?

 

That's the reason given in the Manga, where she considers killing Light, IIRC.

 

cheers, Mark

[FenrisUlf]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Just wondering -- now that the series is over at volume 12, just what became of Light and his adversary? And what happens to the 'Death Note'?

 

(BTW, if you got the thing, couldn't you just burn it? It's only a notebook, after all...)

[Clonus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Just wondering -- now that the series is over at volume 12, just what became of Light and his adversary? And what happens to the 'Death Note'?

 

(BTW, if you got the thing, couldn't you just burn it? It's only a notebook, after all...)

 

Yes. That's why Light had his buddy inscribe a fake rule saying that if you burn it you die.

[Badger]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Maybe Rem spared Light because killing him would have hurt Misa terribly and wasn't she supposed to care for Misa?

 

True. I did think of that. But, she did also know Light was using Misa. And could use her again as a pawn if things got tight. And with Rem gone, there would be no one to save her then.

 

It was obviously a no-winner.

[Badger]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Course, I was thinking about what was mentioned earlier in the thread about there being no good guys. (and that even L was ruthless, etc, etc) I have been thinking and probably the closest to good is probably Light's father (so far) and maybe a couple of the other detectives.

[Marcus Impudite]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Spoiler below:

 

Light dies in the end. Ryuk writes Light's name in his own notebook just as he said he would in the very beginning of the series. At least you can't say he's not true to his word.

 

[Marcus Impudite]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

As nexus stated earlier it is possible to write-up even something like the Death Note in the Hero System. IMO, the best way to do it would be something like this:

 

RKA 20d6, Based On Ego Combat Value (Mental Defense applies; +1), Does BODY (+1), Variable Special Effect (for cause of death; +1/2), Full Invinsible (+1), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), (1500 Active Points); OAF (the Death Note or any single page from it; -1), Gestures (writing the target's name; -1/4), Must Know The Target's Name And Face (-1/2), Cause Of Death Defaults To Heart Attack If None Is Specified When Name Is Written Or If Specified Cause Would Be Physically Impossible (-0) (cost: 545-points) plus Time Delay (+1/4) for the RKA, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), (37 Active Points); OAF (The Death Note or a single page from it; -1), Gestures (must write time of death; -1/4), Must Know Target's Name And Face (-1/2) (cost: 13 points) plus Mind Scan 20d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END (0 END; +1/2), (150 Active Points; OAF (the Death Note or any single page from it; -1), Gestures (writing the target's name; -1/4), Must Know The Target's Name And Face (-1/2), Linked (to RKA; -1/2) (cost: 46-points) plus +5 ECV (25 Active Points); OAF (the Death Note or a single page from it; -1), Offense Only (-1/2) (cost: 10-points). Total Cost: 614-points

 

My Rationale:

First, while some might find the 20d6 RKA excessive, it more or less garrentees nobody in a Normal Characteristics Max game will have a high enough BODY stat to survive the effect (which is what we're going for here).

 

Second, I figured leaving the Based On Ego Combat Value defense as Mental Defense was safe enough, since hardly anyone in the series's human cast show any signs of having any. Can't really speak for the Shinigami either though.

 

Third, the naked Time Delay Advantage is included here because Light did use the Death Note to specify times of death as much as weeks in advance. (Remember: criminals were still dying while L had him and Misa locked up, even before Rem gave Light's Death Note to that corporate dude)

 

Fouth, the Mind Scan is included because he can kill someone without needing to be "on sight." I also added the Invisible Advantage to the RKA since we never see anything visible shooting out of the notebook when it's used.

 

Fifth and finally, I chose to write it up like this since writing up all the specific ways Light could kill someone would be way too complicated and expensive. As it is, the owner of the Death Note would more or less have to be an NPC.The part about the person who uses the Death Note not being able to go to Heaven or Hell when they die has no real in-game effect, so I didn't stat it. Shinigami Eyes power and Misa Misa sold seperately.

 

Comments and suggestions?

[Marcus Impudite]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

I just watched this weekend's episode over on adult swim's website.

 

 

Light was really going to do it, he was really going to sacrifice his sister to keep the Death Note out of Mello's hands. At the last minute, however, he decided he couldn't do it without risking exposing himself as Kira. Light is one cold SOB, and that's something coming from a demon like me.

 

[nexus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Comments and suggestions?

 

Variable SFX since the manner of death can be specified?

[nexus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Spoiler below:

 

Light dies in the end. Ryuk writes Light's name in his own notebook just as he said he would in the very beginning of the series. At least you can't say he's not true to his word.

 

 

 

Hopefully his death involves being pulled slowly through a wheat threshing machine.

 

 

[Marcus Impudite]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Variable SFX since the manner of death can be specified?

Already got it in there, it's right next to Does BODY (+1).

[nexus]

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Already got it in there' date=' it's right next to Does BODY (+1).[/quote']

 

D'oh!

 

Sorry missed it.